An article written by John Gillespie on the disadvantages of Design-Build in Trinidad and Tobago was recently published in the Business Guardian. Click here for the full article

John Gillespie receives National award

We congratulate John Gillespie on being a recipient of the Hummingbird Medal (Silver) for National achievement in architecture.

Mr. Gillespie received this award on Independence Day.

ABS Caribbean Construction Awards 2011

On March 21st 2011, the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain was the venue for an awards ceremony hosted by Ansa McAL and ABS. This was to honour the influential work of key players in the regional construction industry.

Gillespie+Partners, in addition to winning in the Architecture - Large Building Category (over 10,000 sq ft) were also awarded the Overall Winner in Architecture.

The project that received these honours was the Daaga Lecture Theatre on the campus of the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine.

The building houses a 450-seat lecture hall as well as a 45-seat multimedia classroom and associated offices.

The panel of judges, a multi-national group from South Africa, The Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Barbados (as well as Trinidad & Tobago) were particularly appreciative of the generous open air stairs that double as a "liming space" for students between classes.

1000 x ARCHITECTURE of the AMERICAS

Featured in the prestigious German publication "1000 x ARCHITECTURE OF THE AMERICAS" with a 2-page full-colour spread, Gillespie +Partners represents Trinidad & Tobago in the section devoted to the Caribbean.

From the contents:

Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada (Daniel Libeskind)

Repairs and Renovations to the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, USA (Billies Architecture)

Outstanding buildings have been constructed in the Western Hemisphere; acclaimed as well as emerging architects are contributing today with their work in North, South, Central America and the Carribbean to the definition of tomorrow's architecture.

This comprehensive compendium provides a unique opportunity to explore the powerful diversity from Canada to Chile, from the United States to Barbados based on the inimitable conditions in each of the countries by featuring the best recent projects. At the same time it also reveals what unites the architecture of the Americas. Airports, stadiums, churches, museums, houses and lots of other building types - all projects are presented by means of concise text, outstanding photos and informative drawings.

Port of Spain, May 20, 2009 - A symbol of growth and expansion is how Jim Westlake, RBC Group Head - International Banking & Insurance described the new Port of Spain headquarters of the RBTT Financial Group, a recently acquired RBC company.

Formally opened on May 12, St. Clair Place will serve as RBTT's leadership core and nerve centre. Once the integration of RBC and RBTT has been completed, it will become the nucleus for the entire RBC Caribbean network-from The Bahamas in the north to Suriname in the south.

"As I look up at the logo here in Port of Spain, I have a real sense of having come home," said Westlake during his remarks at the formal opening. "Not that we ever left-mind you-as RBC has had a strong history in the Caribbean dating back to 1899. In fact, many of you might have heard that RBC had a branch in the Caribbean before we had one in Toronto."

Today, RBC's home market remains in Canada, which has been rated by the World Economic Forum and the IMF as having the world's soundest banking system. Referring to the Canadian banking system, prior to cutting the ribbon, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Patrick Manning said, "Its established and transparent regulatory framework prevented the adventurous excesses that contributed significantly to the collapse of longstanding financial institutions in other countries. We must continue to learn from the Canadian experience."

In delivering welcome remarks, RBTT CEO Suresh Sookoo said, "It feels good to be a part of RBC." He explained that RBC has been able to withstand the challenges of today's economic environment largely because of a history of prudent risk management and a well-managed, diversified portfolio. RBC, Canada's largest bank; the fifth largest bank in North America; and the thirteenth largest bank globally, is one of only seven banks globally with a Moody's triple-A credit rating.

St. Clair Place comprises two linked-buildings-seven and six storeys, respectively. The building houses the offices of the executive, key functional areas such as Human Resources and Corporate Communications & Brand, as well as certain business units including Capital Markets, Corporate Banking, Sales and Trading, and Asset Management.

St. Clair Place, RBTT's new headquarters, designed by Gillespie + Partners, was formally opened in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on May 12, 2009. Once the integration of RBC and RBTT has been completed, St. Clair Place will become the centre for the entire RBC Caribbean network-from The Bahamas to Suriname.